We launched the Architizer A+ Awards last week, and with over 50 categories, a 200-strong jury, and more, it promises to be the biggest architecture awards program ever (Yes. EVER.). The awards will be broken up into two categories, the “Typology Awards,” which celebrate traditional building types, and the “Plus Awards,” which acknowledge the link between global issues and the structures that society builds. This is the first in the series of Plus Awards that will feature our top projects for categories like “Mobility” and “Urban Regeneration.’ The A+ “Workspaces” Award will award the best office projects (built or unbuilt) of the last three years.
Down to business. What’s in an office? As more and more business becomes digitized, the physical identity of a company is now more important than ever. After all, a company or start-up’s visual identity and ethos is not transmissible solely by phone or email. It’s the architecture that tells the story.
See Frank Gehry’s sprawling campus design for Facebook, a 10-acre “neighborhood” consisting of numerous “subdivisions” where “friends” work, chat, and brainstorm amid sculptural fish-like desks and feature graffiti walls; or AOL’s spunky Palo Alto Headquarters, a warehouse full of neon-tinged curiousness that vaguely resembles your arcade haunt of yore. It’s a smart and fun way to build a brand through design.
In the wake of these trends, the workspace has morphed from cubical maze of drudgery to virtual playground, complete with bean bags, pinball machines, slushee machines and all other kinds of carnivalesque fun. Geodesic dome? Check. Glass bubble-desk modules? Check. Desktop trees? Check. Gratuitous R2-D2 prop? Check. The future of the office is fun.
Pons and Hout
Paris/France
Designed by Christian Pottgiesser
Learn more about this project here.
Panoramic Garden of CCIS
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Designed by SADAR + VUGA
Learn more about this project here.
Thinkgarden
Milano/Italy
Designed by Alessandro Pierandrei, Fabrizio Pierandrei, Stefano Anfossi
Learn more about this project here.
Atelier Tenjinyama
Gunma Prefecture/Japan
Designed by Ikimono Architects
Learn more about this project here.
No Picnic
Stockholm/Sweden
Designed by Elding Oscarson
Learn more about this project here.
Mr. Design Office
Tokyo/Japan
Designed by Schemata Architects
Learn more about this project here.
HOK London Office
London/UK
Designed by HOK London
Learn more about this project here.
Adidas Laces
Herzogenaurach/Germany
Designed by kadawittfeldarchitektur
Learn more about this project here.
EMEA Engineering Hub in Zurich
Zurich/Switzerland
Designed by Camenzind Evolution
Learn more about this project here.
Obscura Digital HQ
San Francisco/United States
Designed by IwamotoScott
Learn more about this project here.
Architizer is hosting the world’s definitive architectural awards program, with 50+ categories and 200+ jurors. As part of an ongoing series, we’re spotlighting projects that fit the “Plus” categories, which tap into topical and culturally relevant themes. To see a full list of categories and learn more about the awards, visit architizerawards.com.
